Trump is already fundraising off Stephen Breyer's retirement


Former President Donald Trump's fundraising team lost no time in capitalizing on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's reported plan to retire at the end of the current term.
"BREAKING: A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IS RETIRING," read a fundraising text sent out just hours after news of Breyer's intentions broke. "Biden will appoint a LIBERAL ACTIVIST. Pres Trump activated an EMERGENCY 5X-IMPACT."
Politico White House correspondent Eugene Daniels shared a screenshot of the text on Twitter.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Breyer, 83, is the oldest member of the Supreme Court, having been nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1994. His retirement will allow President Biden to name a nominee to the Supreme Court, maintaining the court's current ideological balance for the near future.
Trump has frequently been mocked and criticized for the forceful tone of his fundraising messages.
In an August piece for The Spectator World headlined "I think Donald Trump's email team is trying to murder me," Matt Purple wrote that "people who give small amounts to political campaigns are generally decent sorts and deserve better than to be bullied by a team of tinpot PR henchmen leaning on the caps lock."
A New York Times report published a few months earlier revealed a darker side to Trump's fundraising machine. According to the Times, in September 2020 fundraising company WinRed began "to set up recurring donations by default for online donors, for every week until the election. Contributors had to wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out."
As the election neared, the Times report continued, "the Trump team … introduced a second prechecked box, known internally as a 'money bomb,' that doubled a person's contribution."
Trump's campaign had to pay more than $60 million in refunds — more than 10 times the amount Biden's campaign paid back — but was able to cover the costs with money raised after the election to "Stop the Steal."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
RFK Jr.: How to destroy vaccination
Feature Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaces all 17 members of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice
-
The god in the machine
Feature An AI model with superhuman intelligence could soon become reality. Should we be worried?
-
ICE: Targeting essential workers
Feature After a brief pause, the Trump administration resumes its mass deportation plan
-
ICE: Targeting essential workers
Feature After a brief pause, the Trump administration resumes its mass deportation plan
-
'No Kings': A turning point for the resistance?
Feature Millions of Americans nationwide took to the streets to protest against the Trump administration
-
Trump: Making the military into a 'partisan militia'?
Feature Donald Trump held a military parade just days after sending troops to stop protests in Los Angeles
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Is the US sliding into autocracy?
Talking Point Donald Trump's use of federal troops on home ground, dismissal of dissent and 'braggadocious' military posturing are all symptoms of a shifting political culture
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
'Is it even possible to enjoy a trip without contributing to the problem?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day